Web hosting provider 1&1 Internet has launched 1&1 Search Marketing, which provides new 1&1 hosting customers with a powerful solution for pay-per-click sponsored search and is specifically designed for smaller budgets often refused by large search engines. 1&1 customers will also benefit from 1&1 Banner Advertising, a tool for regional and themed banner ad campaigns.

1&1 Search Marketing (powered by Yahoo! Search Marketing), supplied with all shared hosting packages from £4.99/month+VAT, enables UK SMEs to run sponsored search marketing campaigns on major search engines and highly trafficked websites across the Yahoo! Search Marketing network. The solution is easy to use and removes the need to negotiate with vendors or agencies. Using their 1&1 Control Panel, a user submits a list of keywords for their advertisement text and makes an offer for each of the keywords. The position of the user's listing will be ranked according to a number of different factors. Costs only accrue the moment a visitor clicks on an advertised website (pay-per-click).

1&1 Search Marketing (powered by Yahoo! Search Marketing) provides monthly reports on rankings and bids as well as competitors' keywords. The solution incorporates daily or monthly budgets, with no minimum term contract and all billing simply added to the user's 1&1 hosting charges. Customers will also receive an Online Marketing Manual of advice on how to run a successful campaign, and an initial £50 Yahoo! Search Marketing voucher.

Andreas Gauger, CEO 1&1 Internet, said "We are delighted to have partnered with Yahoo! Search Marketing, the pioneer of paid search, to provide this ground-breaking feature. 1&1 strives to push the boundaries of web hosting and equip the smaller website owner with the best chance of attracting and retaining visitors".

1&1 has also partnered with AdLINK Internet Media Ltd to provide all new hosting customers with 1&1 Banner Advertising. The tool provides an integrated solution for UK small businesses to design and place targeted banner advertisements, traditionally the reserve of large companies and advertising agencies. 1&1 customers design their banner using the ULEAD GIF animator supplied, and place their banners using the AdLINK partner network. Users are charged by page impressions on a monthly basis. Banners can be placed for a regional impact, using local websites such as radio stations, local newspapers etc, or by theme upon relevant mainstream websites and portals. Regional targeting is also achieved by locating website visitors by means of IP-analysis.

Customers signing up for web hosting from £8.99/month+VAT, will receive between 2,000 and 10,000 free page impressions. AdLINK's banner advertising service is available to 1&1 customers at discounted rates. Users choose between 1,000 page impressions per month, priced at £4.99/month+VAT, or 10,000 impressions per month, priced at £39.99/month+VAT.

Gauger added, "Our Search Marketing and Banner Advertising features provide small businesses with effective weapons to conquer the web. Every small business can now afford to run a scalable online marketing strategy and compete like larger online players".

Furthermore, 1&1 hosting customers now also receive Google Site Maps and 1&1 SimpleSubmission tools to support their submission into the major search engines. 1&1 eShop customers also benefit from having their products listed within Froogle and Pangora directories.